Conventional electrical connector assembly comprises a receptacle electrical connector and a corresponding plug electrical connector, through which a signal cable connector can be combined with a power cable connector, such that an electrical connection for transmitting both video signal and power between a video source device (such as computer, DVD, Video Game) and a display device (such as a display, TV, projector) can be achieved through one cable.
Chinese Patent ZL 200920002141.1 discloses a plug electrical connector, a receptacle electrical connector and an electrical connector assembly. The plug electrical connector comprises a first insulated housing having a first main body and a first protrusion extending upward from an upper surface of the first main body, the first main body having an upper tongue and a lower tongue which are provided with a plurality of first terminal slots, the first protrusion being provided with two second terminal slots; a plurality of first terminals, each of which is provided in the first terminal slot respectively, and has a guiding portion protruding out of a rear wall of the first main body; two second terminals, each of which is provided in the second terminal slot respectively, and has an inserting portion protruding out of a front wall of the first protrusion and a guiding portion protruding out of a rear wall of the first protrusion; and a first metal element enclosing the first insulated housing and having a first mating opening at a side adjacent to the inserting portions of the two second terminals. The receptacle electrical connector comprises a second insulated housing having a second main body, a second protrusion extending upward from an upper surface of the second main body, a third tongue extending forward from the second main body, an extension portion extending forward from the second protrusion and spaced from the third tongue, a plurality of third terminal slots being provided in an upper and a lower side of the third tongue respectively and two fourth terminal slots running through the second protrusion and the extension portion; a plurality of third terminals, each of which is provided in the third terminal slot, and has a contacting portion in a side of the third tongue; two fourth terminals, each of which is provided in the fourth terminal slots respectively, and has a contacting portion; and a second metal element enclosing the second insulated housing and having a second mating opening at a side adjacent to the third tongue. The electrical connector assembly comprises the above receptacle electrical connector and the above plug electrical connector, the receptacle electrical connector can be mated with the plug electrical connector via the first and second mating openings, the first terminals and the third terminals are electrically connected with each other, the two second terminals and the two fourth terminals are electrically connected with each other, such that both the video signals and the power are transmitted simultaneously. Thereby, cables can be handled easily and a space can be saved.
However, the inserting portion of the second terminals for transmitting the power in the conventional plug electrical connector is exposed and extending straightforward without any protection. So, the inserting portion of the second terminals in the plug electrical connector is easily failed due to the bending caused by the extension portion of the receptacle electrical connector when mis-plugging, during mating with the conventional receptacle electrical connector. Thus, the reliability of electrically connection between the video source device and the display device is lowered. In addition, the fourth terminals in the receptacle electrical connector mated with the second terminals of the plug electrical connector are two contacting portions formed by fixing arms having an invert U shape and extending opposite. Thus, the structures of contacting portions of the fourth terminals are too complex to manufactured, and occupy a relative larger space and fail to have a compact design. Furthermore, the contacting portions of the third terminals on the upper and lower sides of the third tongue in the conventional receptacle connector are aligned up and down relative to each other, such that the two contacting portions in the upper and lower side are arranged face to face. Therefore, the arranging manner of the above contacting portions tends to produce signal noise and is not propitious to improve the transmitting quality of signals.
Therefore, it is necessary to further improve the conventional electrical connector so as to satisfy the requirements of the current products.